Automobile direction indicator



F. o. GRAY ,AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION NDICATOR Filed May 8. 1920 2Sheets-Sheetrl affxfmffssfs nvm/mf? j? 0 Gr/p Dec. I8 923. MWSQI F. o.GRAY AUTOMOBILE DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed Maty 8, 1920 2 SheeLS-Sheeb 2ff Villlllllli I (ai w/nvfssfs 27 0 l CII/(21233 8;/

, ATTURNEYS Cil verm.

Application filed 5,

To ali whomy if may cmi/vzw:

Bc it known that FR mii lll-*4.1mm GRAY, zi ciizcn (if thc lvnilcilSuites, uml a rcsi'clcnt of l-iziiiaid, in tlic coiuiy of Mclilcmy andci liinnis, have invented ccirain n -w :mil iiscfnl nipiovcnicnts inAntonioli-ile,

Diicciion Indicators` oi" which the following is ai spccication.

My invention i'clalesio improvements in inclicaims, it lacing); moreparticularly an improvement in mitmncliiie direction. inclicators, :1ndit consists in -he constructions, cfiinbinziions and aiizmgemcntsiicifciii clescribecl and claiincl. f i

@ne of t-lxc mcnict @bici-s of the in'vcnf tion i5 i@ provide a' signalfor appiising the cli-iwi of a vehicle in clic rcafi of lli@ ou on Whicnih@ signai ig' mounted, of the clirccion which is ini'cniilcil wbcfollowed, Witiifnii necessitating nc opel-mim tinus-ting his ini-ml@uits a2 i8 lle cusmnzuiy prnciicc.

utiiei Oltfifcc 0i die inxf'cntion is i6 pr@ i n sol ,nciiinlly operatedsignal fof mics I, truck :infl the like` in ii'iiicl: the arm iSihmiinzilcci simuirancmsly n icaclix'ilA an cfi'lcnfed position.

ii fn 'l ci oligicc of the invcrition is to px'cvic i Sclciciclallyoperata@ {liicc'ticm in: clicaisor, in W' ich ilic .il arm is mide ofnon--nnignctic material m avoid OlfS-iiucion ci: 'iic o'gnciniionlicrcnf' by lic magnetic in inc-ncc ci ic sccncicl,

Figure is a detail pian View, i Figure '8 .1S a detail pcrspecwe View ofthe cora1 find Figure 9 is a diagram of the electric cm f. Serial No,W933i@ cuits, also showing; how me mounted on the steering pani; ik@mobil-eq The general 'consuctimi of imlical'or l cmnpriscg Lni'rci madeOi iinsi; oi: otlicr nim-inn ricci, threaded at cach cmi so L and lowcrcaps 3 23nd LL can b s place and make incistiiretigl'it cicmcs. l uppercap includes im min no which Ehe Signal :u'in G is pivocc' at i',

One of the ditfection indicators is inoniitc on auch of 'the rem"fenders 53 @E Slm Inoliilc. :1S illiisifz'ecl in Figure L, il atm in@zich case being psiticnccl. ,center of and in a pcl'pcniiiciilai hulici' the rear wheel. Since bom in; are precisely ai'kc, in ccnssinciinn,tlmt Llicy are mzic 'igflit andicf l ing clcsciip'ion of one wili 1 neach case clic light and clic :mi 5 and cup 3N iissisis gjizwiigvgi'liuiningx in@ arm. im lili@ nari, i3 depressed pozfsizion anfllcSolenoid l" encifgizccl. lamp 'i8 lccaicd in siii'alslc shield 19 mnuncdmi the uppers 37 im-ww@ is beam. of ighl; on cia@ signzii arm cnlccl t@the iioiizonmi position.

The cwci can i has a, nunl'ni feci. il@ by means of which lle directioni iiciilz is mmmicd on lie 'Wheel gumcl of @lic anim mobiic. "in cas@Slioiilfi 'nc found lac cnivlimc lof the whee-i. cimi'cl peclucicrmounting ma indicator in lille pcpciqjiosiion. suit-bie minibar ofwasieifis n Y] "0 iiierposei se as cc, iF/avid@ 2i imc the feet,l

y Tha clqctrica stif'stcni is ilusia Figure @,jin wiiicli the s'wiiciibic@ shown d iis@ mounted an linl i Q2 by mlfmn is, clamp ci* l means. AWire 2i leads Jfrom the positive pole of the battery B to one terminalof the.

hut'ton. the other terminal of which hrsof the central button 2S withthe wires and 30. rlhe lamps i8 are connected in parallel across therespective wires 26. 3l and 30, 31.

In operation, assuming that the driver of the automobile proposes loturn towardthe right, he reaches down to the hutten on the steeringpost. and upon depression thereof. causes current to flow from thepositive pole et the battery B. over wire 24, across thecontacts ot thebutton to wire *26. through the solenoid to the ,ground wire 3l and thenhack to the negative pole ot thc battery. A portion oi the current alsoiiovxs through the light 1,8 illuminating the si nal arm S when it ismoved to the horizoi'ital indient4 iner position hy the energization otthe so enoid and consequent attraction ot the core ll. The signal arm ismade preferably of brass or sonic other nommagnetic material which willnot be. intluenced hy the magnetic field of the solenoid. ln order torender the arm more clearly visible at night, it is nickel-plaied` sothat when the rays oi light tromthe lamp 18 fall on it, it will standout more prominently against the dark.

Should the operator desire to indicate to the vehicles behind it that heintends to turn toward the left, he presses the button 29, whereuponcurrent will 'flow over the circuit which the reader can easily trace inFigure 9. It the driver intended to stop, he depresses the centralbutton 28 which will simultaneously energize both solenoids, causingboth signal arnis tl'to Hy out to the horizontal position and thusindicate that the autoniohile will come to a stop.

The advantages may lie brieily stated. The customary practice amongdrivers ot all, kinds ot. motor vehicles is to throvv out the arm toindicate to those behind thorn Whether they intend to turn or not. As amatter of convenience., it is far easier to simply reach down on thesteering; post to depress one or the other ot" the two buttons so as toactuate one or the other of the solenoids and thus throw out the sig-nalarm and indicate to those following` which direction the driver intendsto take.

There is an added advantage in having joining hoth solenoids withLet/aco? one ot the signal devices on each side ot the automobile. lncases there the driver relics on simply throwing' out his arm toindicate thc direction he intends lo taire. there is the restrictionthat only the left arm can he employed, and .in case it is desired toindicate that a turn toward the right is to he taken. the driver mustreach over relatively far so as to throw out his right arm. Olivi` ouslythe direction indicator may-hc used hoth in day or night service.

According to present practice there is no Way ot indicating;r a driversintention to stop all together. rfhe direction indicator hereindisclosed makes it easy to indicate this intention hy simply depressingthe central button. which will cause the throwing?r ont oi both signalarms, which in the present instance, are made in the shape ot ar. rows.YWhile the spring 1T is a simple )rovision, it really performs severaldistinct and importantfunctions. It holds the signal arm down and thuskeeps it from rattling hy pullingV the core 11 up against the to i ofthe cap 3. The core is therefore also held tightly in the barrel andprevented from rattling. The spring' assists gravity in quickly movingthe signal arm to the normal depressed position when the solenoid iscle-energized. l

While the construction andai-rangement i of the improved directionindicator, as herein described and claimed, is that of a generallypreferred form, obviously modifications andA changes may loe madewithout departing` -from the-spirit of the invention or the scope ot theclaims.

l claim '1. A direction indicator, comprising a barrel Witlr suitablyattached upper and lower caps; the latter having means enablingmounting. of the indicator, the former having a braclr'et and flug; asignal arm pivoted on the bracket, with a connection to a core oi" asolenoid in thebarrel. and including a heel to engage the lug when thearm is moved to the extended position; and a springr attached 'to thearm assisting its gravitation to the depressed position upondeenergization of the solenoid, and to keep liti the core in contactwith the upper Cap to prevent rattling; et the parts.

2. A direction' indicator comprising a barrel. a solenoid `disposedwithin the barrel and being provided :with a movable core, a capthreadcdly engaging the barrel at one end, an arm outstanding from thecap, a signal arm pivotallysupported upon the first named arm tri-lieclose to the barrel and sul)- slantially-V parallel therewith when inidle position. said signal a'rxnhaving a heel por tion extending inposition to move between the axis of the pivot thereof and the cap whenthe signal arm is moved fromridle position toward right angular positionin remit Laveno? spect to the barrel, an abutment carried by said cap inposition to be engaged by the heel portion of the signal arm when thelatter has been moved into right angular position in respect to thebarrel, whereby the movement of the signal arm about the axis of itspivot is limited, a connection between the heel portion of the signalarm and the core of the solenoid, whereby the signal arm will be movedfrom idle position by operation of the solenoid, and a retractile springarranged between the cap and the signal arm for returning and yieldinglymaintaining the latter in idle position.

3. A day and night direction indicator comprising a casing,Y consistingof a barrel open at one end and a cap normally closing the open end ofthe barrel, a solenoid disL posed within the barrel and including astationary tinted sleeve and a iuted corex mounted for reciprocation inthe sleeve a signal' arm pivotal'ly supported iipon'lthe cap to lieclose to the barrel and substantially parallel therewith 'when in idleposition, a

shield mounted on the cap having an opening directed toward the signalarm, a' lamp in said shield, spring means connecting the cap and thesignal arm for yieldingly maintaining the latter in idie position, aconnection between the signal arm and the core of the solenoid foractuating the signal arm to swing the latter about its pivot away fromthe barrel when the core of the solenoid is moved in one direction, andan abutment carried by the cap for engaging the signal arm to preventprogressive movement thereof when the signal arm has been movedsubstantially at right angles to the barrel.

4. A direction indicator comprising a barrel having a top, a signal arm,means on the top by which the signalarln is pivoted in an exposedposition, means arranged between the signa arm and barrel to normallyhold the arm in a depressed position, a connection extending from a partof the arm inside of the barrel, a1 solenoid inside of the barrel, anda' corg in the solenoid to which said connection is joined, sa'id corebeing held against the top to limit the movement of the arm to thedepressed position.

5. A direction indicator comprising a signal larm, a casing, a solenoidin the easing including a core, a connection between the core and signalarm, means carried by the top of the casing providing a bearing supportfor the signal arm, and means in connection `with the arm assisting itto gravitate to a depressed. position when the soienoid is deenergized,the core being held against the to of the casing to limit the movementof tie arm and prevent the parte from rattling.

FRANK @LIVER GRAY.

